# -ի
## Armenian
### Pronunciation

* (Eastern Armenian) IPA: /i/, [i]
* (Western Armenian) IPA: /i/, [i]

### Etymology 1

From Old Armenian -ի (-i).

#### Suffix

-ի • (-i)
* -able
    հասկանալ ― haskanal ― to understand
    հասկանալի ― haskanali ― understandable
    բուժել ― bužel ― to cure
    բուժելի ― buželi ― curable
    ուղղել ― uġġel ― to correct
    ուղղելի ― uġġeli ― corrigible
* forming botanical names
    ծիրանի ― cirani ― apricot tree
* forming names of tools and utensils
    խնոցի ― xnocʻi ― butter churn

##### Derived terms
#### Further reading

* Galstyan, Galstyan (1978) Acancʻumə ew acancʻnerə žamanakakicʻ hayerenum [Affixation and affixes in modern Armenian]‎ (in Armenian), Yerevan: University Press, page 132

### Etymology 2

From Old Armenian -ի (-i).

#### Suffix

-ի • (-i)
* the singular and plural dative case ending of i-declension nouns
    Հայաստանի ― Hayastani ― dative singular case of Հայաստան (Hayastan)
    քաղաքի ― kʻaġakʻi ― dative singular case of քաղաք (kʻaġakʻ)
    քաղաքների ― kʻaġakʻneri ― dative plural case of քաղաք (kʻaġakʻ)

##### See also

* -ու (-u)

## Middle Armenian
### Etymology

From Old Armenian -ի (-i).

### Suffix

-ի • (-i)
* forming botanical names

#### Derived terms
## Old Armenian
### Etymology 1

From the Proto-Indo-European *-yo- or *-yeh₂ suffix. Compare the same suffix in Sanskrit स्वप्न्य (svápnya), Ancient Greek δεξιός (dexiós), Latin somnium. The genitive ending -ի (-i) may have the same origin.

#### Suffix

-ի • (-i)
* forming adjectives
    աղ ― ał ― salt
    աղի ― ałi ― salty
    բարք ― barkʻ ― disposition, temper
    բարի ― bari ― kind, good
    սոսկալ ― soskal ― to be greatly afraid
    սոսկալի ― soskali ― horrible, terrible
* forming botanical names
    կաղին ― kałin ― acorn
    կաղնի ― kałni ― oak
* made of
    կտաւ ― ktaw ― flax
    կտաւի ― ktawi ― linen
* forming adverbs

##### Descendants

* Armenian: -ի (-i)
* Middle Armenian: -ի (-i)

#### References

* Gočanean, Pōġos (2011) Dasakan grabari gorcnakan kʻerakanutʻiwn [Practical Grammar of Classical Old Armenian]‎ (in Armenian), Vienna and Yerevan: Mekhitarist Press, page 84
* Godel, Robert (1975) An introduction to the study of classical Armenian, Wiesbaden: Dr. Ludwig Reichert Verlag, page 66
* J̌ahukyan, Geworg (1998) “-ի”, in Hin hayereni verǰacancʻneri cagumə [The Origin of Old Armenian Suffixes] (Hayocʻ lezvi hamematakan kʻerakanutʻyan harcʻer; 2) (in Armenian), Yerevan: Anania Širakacʻi, pages 5–48

### Etymology 2

The genitive/dative/locative marker for i-declension is identical with the -ի- (-i-) stem vowel. In Godel's words, the remaining stem, standing in contrast to the nominative/accusative singular (which lost its stem), was apt to function as a full-fledged case form. According to Godel, in the case of the i-a-declension we are dealing with a Proto-Armenian morphological innovation: the new morpheme was abstracted from the genitive/dative/locative case ending -ի (-i) of i-stem nouns and applied to a-stem nouns, whose original endings had been lost.

#### Suffix

-ի • (-i)
* singular genitive/dative/locative marker for i-declension words
    բանի ― bani ― genitive/dative/locative singular of բան (ban)
* singular genitive/dative/locative marker for i-a-declension words
    լեզուի ― lezui ― genitive/dative/locative singular of լեզու (lezu)
    աշակերտի ― ašakerti ― genitive/dative/locative singular of աշակերտ (ašakert)

##### Descendants

* Armenian: -ի (-i)

#### References

* Godel, Robert (1975) An introduction to the study of classical Armenian, Wiesbaden: Dr. Ludwig Reichert Verlag, page 104